Coincidences
by Healer Pomfrey
Summary: Due to an outbreak of the Mermaid measles, the Heads of House have to check on their students, who live in Muggle environments, during the summer holidays. Someone has to check on Harry. Set after 5th year, completely AU, abuse!Dursleys, sick!Harry


**Coincid****ences**

**by Healer Pomfrey**

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._

_I am not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes._

* * *

Harry slightly turned his achy head and glanced at the calendar on his desk. '_Still another eight weeks, before I can go back to Hogwarts_,' he inwardly groaned. '_Only two weeks are over by now. As horrible as it was with Umbridge and everything, it's way better at Hogwarts than it is here_.' A few days ago, he had begun to feel sick. At first, only his throat had been a bit scratchy; however, within a few hours, his whole body became sore, and he felt cold sweat cover his forehead. Still he had done his best to finish all of his chores. Yesterday morning however, he could hardly open his achy eyes anymore, he felt hot and cold at the same time, and he felt so miserable that he couldn't drag himself out of bed, especially since his surroundings were tilting dangerously, whenever he tried to bring himself into an upright position. Unfortunately, his uncle hadn't taken well that his supposed to be house-elf was unavailable and had pulled him out of his room, with the consequence that Harry had stumbled down the stairs. Seeing that his left hand stood at a strangle ankle to his arm, Vernon Dursley had quickly sent him back upstairs, demanding that he should heal his wrist with magic, before he left the room in a huff.

'_I don't know how to heal my wrist_,' Harry thought miserably, '_but it doesn't really matter anyway. I just wished I could do something against the splitting headache and the dizziness_.' He closed his achy eyes, wondering how he was going to survive the next two months. '_If I had only brought Hedwig with me instead of sending her to Ron_,' he mused as he drifted off to fever induced nightmares about his uncle, who in his dreams turned into Voldemort and further into Snape. '_Even Snape is better than Uncle Vernon_,' Harry thought, panting and shivering violently as he woke up shortly later, unaware of the fact that far in the North of the country, the Potions Master was just talking about him.

_ At Hogwarts ~_

"Albus, I visited all of the Slytherins and Gryffindors, who live in Muggle surroundings, except for Potter." He spat the name of his most loathed student. "Filius and Pomona only had to look after their own students, while I stepped in for Minerva. Please don't make me go and check on that dunderhead." He glared at the Headmaster to make the old wizard understand that he was under no circumstances available for the task.

Dumbledore let out a long sigh as he thoughtfully stroked his beard. "Thank you, Severus, for looking after all of them. Do I understand correctly that none of them caught the Mermaid's measles?"

"No Albus. Mr. Longbottom," Severus spat that name as well, "apparently was the only one."

"Thank Merlin that he is in good hands with his grandmother," Pomona threw in. "Albus, I am willing to check on Mr. Potter."

Severus cast his fellow Head of House a grateful look, noticing that the plump woman looked strangely pale. '_Apparently, I'm not the only one, who is stressed and in need of quiet holidays_,' he mused, sighing in relief when the Headmaster ended their staff meeting quickly, because he wanted to visit his Deputy Headmistress, who was still stuck at St. Mungo's suffering from the attack by their former colleague Dolores Umbridge.

"Tell her that we hope she'll be back soon," Severus said softer than intended, before he excused himself and strode back to his quarters. '_Now I can finally enjoy the peace and quiet of the holidays_,' he thought as he sat in his favourite armchair in front of the fireplace and reached out for the newest copy of his favourite Potions journal.

An hour later, he was deeply engrossed in his journal, when the fireplace flared, and the Headmaster's face became visible in the flames. "Severus, I need you." With that the old man's face vanished as suddenly as it had appeared, leaving the Potions Master to groan in annoyance.

'_What is it now?_' he thought, sighing as he stepped into the fireplace and made his way to the Headmaster's office for the second time on this warm summer afternoon. He slightly inclined his head, acknowledging Albus' and Pomona's presence.

"Severus," the Headmaster spoke up in a grave voice. "Pomona seems to have caught the Mermaid's measles."

Severus cast the older professor a sharp look, taking in the small red pustules that were covering her hands and part of her cheeks. '_She didn't have any during our staff meeting just an hour ago_,' he thought in surprise at how fast the pustules spread. Waving his wand to cast a diagnostic spell, he confirmed, "Yes Pomona; I suggest that you make yourself comfortable either in the hospital wing or in your own bed in your quarters, and I'll be there to give you your potions in a few minutes."

"I'd prefer my own bedroom. I'm so sorry, Severus, for taking your free time," Pomona said.

Severus was just about to return a sneer, when he saw his colleague trying to suppress a shiver and took in her glassy eyes. "No problem," he finally replied in his soft, baritone voice. When his colleague stepped into the fireplace, he turned to the Headmaster. "How was Minerva? You're back early."

The Headmaster sighed. "She was just having a huge fight with the Healers, and when I said something to make her see reason, she threw me out. I think she is getting better, but they want to keep her for at least another week, if not two. Poppy is with her now, using her lunch break to speak with her." He let out a sigh. "Harry Potter apparently noticed that Pomona was ill. She checked on him and said that he was sick, but not from the Mermaid measles but something else. It's probably a Muggle illness; otherwise, his aunt would surely have contacted us. All right, Severus. Thank you for looking after Pomona. Apparently, the Mermaid's measles don't count as an emergency that allows us to call Poppy back from St. Mungo's, especially if it's only a staff member who is ill."

'_Unfortunately_,' Severus mused as he took his leave in order to fetch the necessary potions for his colleague. He thoroughly checked on the Herbology professor, wondering how she could have caught the measles at all, because she had taken the same preventive potion as Albus, Filius and himself.

"Maybe I caught it before taking the potion?" Pomona asked weakly. "In fact, I have been feeling sick for a few days, but I didn't think that it was the Mermaid's measles. I thought it was just a cold or something, although I was running a temperature during the last few days."

"Thank Merlin it only becomes contagious when the pustules begin to appear," Severus said dryly, before he excused himself, promising to be back in a few hours. '_She is a real Hufflepuff_,' he mused when he once more lowered himself into his favourite armchair, '_offering to go and check on Potter on my behalf in spite of being ill herself_.' He reached for his Potions journal, when all of a sudden, a thought struck his mind. '_Did she say Potter was ill with some Muggle illness? And she checked on him, just when the Mermaid's measles broke out? Do people not know how dangerous the combination of a magical and a Muggle illness can be?_' He let out an angry sigh as he grudgingly rose from his stair and stepped into the fireplace, shouting, "Headmaster's office."

"Severus," the Headmaster greeted him in apparent surprise, offering him a lemon drop.

"Don't lemon drop me, Albus," Severus said in annoyance as he took the offered seat and readied himself to lecture the Headmaster about possible interactions between magical and non magical diseases. He noticed contentedly that the Headmaster visibly paled at his explanation.

"Severus, my boy," Albus finally spoke up. "Thank you for alerting me to the problem. I believe that it will be necessary that you visit the Dursleys and speak with his aunt. If you give Petunia Dursley three doses of the preventive potion for her family and take a batch of the Mermaid's measles potion with you and explain to Petunia, when and how often she has to make Harry drink the potion, we'll be on the safe side." Without giving his Potions Master a chance to protest or refuse, he headed to the fireplace. "Thank you, Severus," he added, before he vanished in the flames.

Severus glared at the spot, where the Headmaster had been standing an instant ago. '_I can't believe it_,' he thought in shock. '_He wants me to go to meet that horrid sister of Lily? Oh well, at least I don't have to check on Potter_.' He strode back to his quarters, reflecting his childhood, when Lily, Petunia and he had played on the playground together. '_Petunia always hated magic_,' he mused. '_I wonder if she has changed due to being the golden boy's guardian_.' Suddenly remembering scenes, which he had seen in his Occlumency lessons with Potter, he doubted that his former best friend's sister had changed at all. He grudgingly gathered all the potions, which Potter and his relatives would need, before he strode to the Apparition border and apparated into Arabella Figg's garden. '_Thank Merlin she's not here_,' he thought, not overly liking the cat obsessed old woman, and hurriedly made his way to the Dursleys' residence after transfiguring his robes into black Muggle attire with a flick of his wand.

Petunia opened the door surprisingly quickly, only to half-way close it right away upon seeing Severus. "You?" she hissed in disbelief. "What do you want?"

"Petunia," Severus said, trying to keep his voice as calm as possible. "The Headmaster sent me to speak with you about something. May I come in for a few minutes?"

Seeing that her neighbour was looking through the window, eyeing her black clothed guest with apparent interest, Petunia grudgingly motioned for Severus to follow her and led the tall wizard into the living room. "You have exactly two minutes," she said impatiently.

Severus shortly explained the reason for his visit, wondering why Petunia accepted each single advice with a short nod. '_She should be concerned about her little prince, Potter_,' he thought in surprise, '_but she seems to be totally indifferent about what is going to happen_.' "What exactly is wrong with your nephew, by the way?" he asked in a relatively polite voice.

Petunia scoffed. "He is a lazybones and a good for nothing freak," she hissed. "If you're so concerned, maybe the Headmaster or you should think about relieving us from the burden of his presence. He hasn't been doing his chores for two days now, and my husband is getting angry."

Severus raised an eyebrow. '_Something is off here_,' he realised. "Show me to his room, so that I can check on him. My colleague told me that he was ill." Ignoring Petunia's snort, he added, "I am well able to look for his room on my own of course."

"Leave my house this instant," Petunia demanded, glaring at her unwanted visitor.

"Believe me, there is nothing that I'd love to do more; however, only after I check on your nephew," Severus sneered and strode back into the hall. Taking two steps at once, he made his way upstairs, only to stop dead in his tracks at the sight of... '_Thirteen locks_,' he counted in disbelief. '_Are they keeping a dangerous animal in this house?_' Confirming that Petunia hadn't followed him upstairs, he quickly waved his wand, whispering, "Point me Harry Potter."

Realising in complete shock that his wand pointed to the door behind the locks, Severus once again waved his wand casting a strong Alohomora spell, before he quietly entered the small bedroom, noticing that the air was very stuffy. '_Where is Potter?_' he wondered, before his eyes fell on the narrow bed and the small figure that was curled up to a ball under a heap of blankets.

"Potter," he voiced, casting the boy a sharp look in lack of a reply.

_~ Harry__'s room ~_

Harry drifted from one fevered nightmare into the next. Most of them revealed around his uncle; however, there were also pleasant dreams. Even Professor Sprout had been in one of them. She had visited him and checked on him, even if she hadn't been able to help him. Now, once again his uncle's voice abruptly turned into that of Professor Snape, who called his name a few times, apparently becoming more impatient by the minute.

'_I need to wake up_,' Harry thought, and hesitantly opened his eyes just a little bit. "Pfessor," he mumbled wearily, wondering if his vision was betraying him.

"Potter," the professor spoke to him in a voice that held no malice and was very different to how the teacher had sneered at him earlier in his dream. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," Harry mumbled. '_Is that really Snape? What does he want here? Is Voldemort here as well?_' he wondered, unaware that he voiced his thoughts.

"The Dark Lord is not here, Mr. Potter," Snape replied in a stern voice, casting him a menacing glare. "I merely came to enquire what was ailing you and to check on you," he drawled. "Did your aunt properly check on you and give you something for your illness?"

"I'm not ill," Harry mumbled, although he had to admit to himself that it wouldn't sound in any way believable to the teacher, who seemed to be able to look right through him at any time. He tried to nestle deeper into his pillow and back away, when the professor pointed his wand at his head.

Snape rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Potter, do you really believe that I'd waste my valuable time to come here and attack you? I was merely checking your fever, which is exceeding forty degrees, just for your information. But of course, almighty Harry Potter is not ill, even with a temperature that is more than three degrees above normal people's level." He leaned over Harry. "Did your aunt take at least take you to a doctor? Otherwise, I need to cast a diagnostic spell as well."

"No," Harry said miserably, trying not to flinch when the professor waved his wand over him.

"The Muggle flu and... a broken wrist?" Snape asked in disbelief, raising an eyebrow. "Show me your hand, Potter."

Harry hesitantly pulled his left arm out from under his blankets, trying hard to not flinch back when the professor surprisingly gently took his hand to examine his broken wrist. "Can you tell me how you broke your wrist when you're sick in bed?" Snape queried, casting him an assessing look.

"I fell down the stairs," Harry mumbled, looking up startled when the teacher waved his wand at his wrist and healed the broken bones.

"You fell down the stairs? Is this why your relatives locked you in here?" Snape sneered. "To prevent you from recklessly falling down again?"

"Thank you for healing my wrist, sir," Harry said quietly, deciding to ignore the question. '_Why did he come here at all?_' he wondered, knowing that the professor would only sneer at him if he asked.

To his relief, instead of repeating his question, Snape produced two small phials out of his robe pockets and gently helped him to drink two potions that caused him to drift back to sleep instantly.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

Severus observed the boy fall asleep in confusion. '_Something is strange here_,' he mused. '_Why was he locked in? Surely not because Petunia feared that he was going to fall down the stairs again? And why didn't she take him to the hospital to get his wrist mended? Considering how his fever spiked, he probably didn't even get medicine_.' He let his eyes wander around the room as he pondered how to proceed. Suddenly, his eyes fell onto the cat flap in the door and the untouched plate with a can of vegetable soup that had obviously been pushed through the cat flap. '_What the f..._' he thought, allowing an angry expression to push itself onto his face. '_Do they care about Potter at all?_' he wondered, before he abruptly turned around as Harry began to thrash around wildly in his sleep, begging his uncle not to beat him.

The thought, '_Not my problem; I merely came to give Petunia his potions_,' crossed his mind; however, Severus dismissed it as a small voice at the back of his head spoke up, '_Lily would have stayed with you and looked after you._' He grudgingly returned to the bed and carefully shook the boy's shoulder.

"Potter, wake up; it's only a nightmare," he said in a soft voice, causing the boy to jerk awake and mumble something incomprehensive, before he drifted back into a more peaceful sleep.

"I need to speak with Petunia again," Severus resolved and silently left the room, finding his childhood friend's sister in the living room together with her son, who was stuffing himself with crisps and cola in front of the TV. "Petunia, what exactly did you give Harry for the flu, and what for his broken wrist?" Severus queried, looking at the Muggle woman in expectation.

"The boy caught the flu?" Petunia asked, casting her son a panicked look. "Sweetie, be careful that you don't come in contact with the freak."

"Yeah Mum," Dudley replied absentmindedly between two bites.

Severus looked at the boy in disgust. '_As much as I disdain Potter, Lily's son doesn't deserve this_,' he thought and enquired in a dangerously quiet voice, "What do you intend to do for your nephew? He is malnourished, ill and delirious."

Petunia scoffed. "He'll just heal himself like always. As long as he stays out of our way I don't care."

With that Severus had enough. He towered over Petunia and hissed through clenched teeth, "You should have cared, you foolish woman. You're going to wish that he was here, but he won't." With that threat, he waved his wand consecutively at Petunia and Dudley, transfiguring them both into pigs, before he turned on his heels and strode out of the room, ignoring the animals' pleading squeals.

Instants later, he was back in the smallest bedroom. He opened the wardrobe in search for the boy's language; however, apart from old rags, he couldn't find anything. '_I need to wake him up_,' he thought and carefully shook Harry's shoulder.

"Mr. Potter, wake up," he said in a gentle voice, sighing in relief when the boy did not flinch but opened his eyes just a little bit. "Mr. Potter, your aunt seems to be slightly indisposed to properly look after you; therefore, I'm going to take you with me to Hogwarts for the time being," he informed the smaller wizard, looking at him in surprise when all of a sudden, a small smile began to play on the boy's lips.

"Really? You're going to take me back to Hogwarts, sir?" he croaked, ending up in a coughing fit.

"Yes indeed," Severus said dryly. "Mr. Potter, stay put for the moment. I need to pack your luggage first."

"Everything is in my cupboard," Harry said softly, "the cupboard under the stairs."

An instant later, Severus was examining the cupboard, taking in the tiny, broken toys that were left in the shelf, '_Probably the only toys that he ever received_,' he thought grimly. '_I can't believe that Lily's and Potter's son was neglected and abused. His arrogant and disobedient behaviour at school wouldn't allow anyone to assume this_.' He waved his wand over the large suitcase, before he pocketed it along with the empty owl cage, casting a last glance at the two pigs, and returned upstairs. Back in the boy's room, he pulled his emergency Portkey out from under his robes and instructed the boy, "Grab this and hold on tightly."

"Yes sir," Potter replied immediately, and Severus whispered the activating password.

"Lily."

Before the student could comment on his choice of password, they were whisked away, and by the time they arrived in front of Madam Pomfrey's office in the hospital wing, the dunderhead was too busy trying to get up from the floor to voice anything.

"Are you feeling dizzy, Mr. Potter?" Severus guessed, causing the boy to let out a miserable sound. "Very well then, stay put, and I'm going to levitate you. You're going to stay in my guest room for the time being, since it would be too much of a hassle to come to the hospital wing to look after you every now and then." With that he trained his wand on the small figure on the floor and levitated the son of his childhood enemy into his own, private quarters.

_ In Professor Snape's quarters ~_

During the next two days, Harry felt absolutely miserable. In spite of the potions that Professor Snape made him drink, his whole body remained sore, and his fever stayed as high as it was when the professor checked on him at the Dursleys'. He drifted in and out of sleep that was frequently accompanied by fever induced nightmares. However, every time he woke up, the Potions Master was at his side, gave him his potions and made him drink small sips of water.

'_Who is he, and what did he do to Snape?_' Harry wondered when he woke up in the morning of the third day in the professor's guest room, noticing in relief that he felt much better and more coherent than during the last days. '_Where is Snape, by the way? Normally, he was always here when I woke up_,' he thought in surprise, when he all of a sudden heard voices coming from the living room.

"Severus, Harry needs his aunt's protection," he heard the Headmaster say.

'_Aunt Petunia's protection?_' he thought in disbelief. '_Has she ever protected me from Uncle Vernon? No_.' He angrily sat up and was about to scramble out of the bed to speak with the Headmaster, when he heard Snape reply in a stern voice.

"Albus, you cannot send the child back to an abusive home. I suffered from abuse by my father, and I will not have Lily's child endure the same even a day longer than necessary."

"But Voldemort..."

"The Muggles wouldn't be able to save Potter from the Dark Lord if he attacked their residence. They would happily hand him over, and the blood protection wouldn't work anymore anyway, considering that the Dark Lord was resurrected with Potter's blood."

"Severus, are you sure?" the Headmaster queried, sounding shocked.

'_Of course_,' Harry thought, slapping his right hand against his forehead. '_I should have thought about that a year ago_.'

"Very well then, Severus; I will allow you to take the boy from his family," Dumbledore said thoughtfully; "however, under one condition."

"And what might that be?" Snape queried, and Harry had the impression as if he sounded tired.

"You are going to become his new guardian."

The Potions Master and Harry gasped simultaneously. "No way, Albus," Snape replied finally. "I couldn't become the guardian of Potter's offspring. Minerva will be over the moon with joy if she can become his guardian."

"Very well then, you and Minerva will share the guardianship," Dumbledore resolved. "Remember, Severus, this is the condition, under which I will allow you to take him away from his family."

Snape let out a long sigh. "Albus, the boy will never agree..."

"If his family is as bad as you describe it, he will," Dumbledore said gently. "Now Severus, if that's all, I need to go to St. Mungo's to accompany Minerva back home. She finally convinced everyone to release her today."

'_Snape_,' Harry mused in disbelief, '_he stood up for me against the Headmaster. He and McGonagall are going to become my guardians, so that I can remain at Hogwarts even during the summer. That's too cool to be true_.' He was pulled out of his thoughts when the Potions Master entered the room.

"Good morning, Mr. Potter," he said evenly. "Are you feeling better today?"

"Yes sir, much better," Harry replied honestly. "Thank you so much for nursing me back to health, Professor."

Snape raised an eyebrow. "You're still far from being back to health. Unfortunately, the potion for the wizard's flu doesn't work overly well for the Muggle flu. It'll take at least another two days, before you can even think about leaving this bed." He pointed his wand at Harry's head, nodding as he slid it back into his robe pocket. After making Harry swallow his potions, he took a seat on the chair next to the bed and observed Harry spoon a small bowl of chicken broth into his mouth.

"Are you feeling all right, sir?" Harry queried in concern, noticing that the professor seemed even paler than normal.

"Of course, Mr. Potter. If you're sure that you'll survive the next hour without babysitter, I shall go and look after Professor Sprout, who is sick as well, before I make a trip to your relatives to get their signature on the guardianship parchments."

"I don't need a babysitter," Harry said in a huff, angrily pushing the bowl with the remaining soup away.

The Potions Master rolled his eyes. "Very well then, Mr. Potter. I assume that you prefer to return to your caring relatives'?"

Harry groaned inwardly. "Oh no, I'm sorry, Professor. I didn't mean it like that. I really appreciate what you have done for me, and I'd love to remain here if that's possible," he said quickly, ending up in a coughing fit.

"Don't make yourself so upset. You will only aggravate your condition," the professor lightly reprimanded him, before he crossed the room and left, apparently knowing that Harry was going to go back to sleep within minutes.

_~ At the Dursl__eys' ~_

Severus strode towards the Apparition point, regretting that he hadn't taken a headache potion before he left. '_I hope I didn't catch the flu from Potter or worse yet the Mermaid measles from Pomona_,' he thought, realising that the dull ache behind his temples and his slightly scratching throat that he felt as he woke up in the morning had worsened considerably during the last two hours. He quickly made his way to the Dursleys' residence, where he found Vernon Dursley sitting in front of the TV with two pigs lying next to his feet.

"How dare you enter my house without even ringing the bell?" Dursley began to shout at his sight.

"Shut up, Dursley. I only need your signature on the guardianship parchments in order to transfer the guardianship over your nephew to myself," Severus replied calmly, causing the fat man to let out a snort.

"Only if you change my wife and son back, you freak. Look what that freak did to them before he vanished," Vernon shouted, waving a fist at him.

"Oh, I won't let them stay in their pig forms," Severus replied softly, "although I have to admit that it suits them well." With a flick of his wand, Petunia and Dudley were changed back to their usual selves, and Severus laid the guardianship parchments on the table, pointing out where Petunia and Vernon had to put their signature. After another few minutes of discussion with the Muggles, he observed in relief how the parchment rolled itself automatically and vanished into thin air, before he consecutively waved his wand at the three occupants of the house and transfigured them into cockroaches. "This suits you even better," he said contentedly and left, leaving the entrance door slightly open, before he apparated back to Hogsmeade. '_They have a real chance to escape and get food, more than Harry had while he was living with them_,' he thought as he dragged himself back to the castle.

_~ In Professor Snape__'s quarters ~_

Harry woke up when someone entered the room. He blinked, noticing in relief that he was able to open his eyes more than just a little bit. "Professor McGonagall," he said in surprise as his Head of House took a seat on the edge of his bed.

"Hello Harry. Professor Dumbledore told me everything," the older witch said gently. "I am sorry for leaving you with the Dursleys, Harry. I didn't know that it was so bad."

Harry sighed inwardly. "It wasn't so bad," he said softly. "I'm glad that Professor Snape could talk Dumbledore into allowing me to stay at Hogwarts though."

"Professor Dumbledore, Harry," McGonagall scolded him lightly, before she asked, "How are you feeling?"

"Much better," Harry replied, looking up startled when Snape entered the room and let himself sink on the chair next to Harry's bed.

"Minerva," the Potions Master said quietly, "the Dursleys signed the guardianship parchments. I don't know if Albus already told you, but the two of us are Mr. Potter's guardians now."

"Severus, are you feeling all right?" McGonagall queried, eyeing her younger colleague in apparent concern.

"Of course," Snape replied firmly but couldn't prevent himself from ending up in a coughing fit.

'_He is sick. He caught whatever I have from me_,' Harry realised, feeling terrified at the thought.

"I see," McGonagall said dryly, quickly extending a hand to the Potions Master's forehead, knowing from his lack of response that he had to be feeling poorly. "Severus, you're burning up," she said in exasperation.

'_Oh no, Snape will never forgive me if I witness McGonagall fuss over him_,' Harry thought and quickly closed his eyes, slightly turning his head towards the wall. He tried his best to breathe evenly, letting out the occasional small snore, while the Scottish lioness conjured a second bed at the opposite wall. "Lie down Severus," she ordered her younger colleague, transfiguring his robes into light black pyjamas with a bubbling cauldron in the front. "A glare from your glassy eyes doesn't work," she added.

'_Wow, Snape must be really feeling horrible if he obeys_,' Harry thought worriedly, unconsciously listening to the sounds coming from his teachers. Apparently, McGonagall made Snape drink some potions, before she instructed him to rest. "When does Harry need his next dose?" she asked crisply.

"At two o'clock," Snape replied, sounding very tired.

'_Suffering from the after effects of his own potions_,' Harry thought, feeling strangely amused, until the Potions Master suddenly spoke to him. "How stupid do you think I am, Mr. Potter? I know that you're awake."

Harry inwardly groaned but opened his eyes and turned his head to look at the professor. "I'm sorry, sir, for making you sick."

Snape let out a few harsh coughs, before he replied hoarsely, "It's not your fault, Mr. Potter. However, if as much as one word about this leaves your mouth, I'm going to..."

Harry couldn't help chuckling. "Don't worry, Professor. I won't tell anyone." A sudden thought struck his mind, and he added, "By the way, I did not speak with anyone about what I saw in your Pensieve. I only told Sirius that I didn't appreciate that he and my father bullied you. I'm very sorry for looking into your memories, sir." He trailed off as his voice seemed to fail and tears welled in his eyes at the thought of his godfather. '_If I hadn't been so stupid, he'd still be alive, and maybe he'd even be allowed to become my guardian now_,' he thought, unable to suppress his sobs. Suddenly, he felt someone stroke his hair and heard a soft voice whisper.

"Harry, he couldn't be stopped. He would have done anything to help you without properly thinking beforehand. Don't cry; you'll only further aggravate your condition, and that would be the last thing he wanted. He wouldn't want you to mourn but to keep yourself alive and healthy and finish that stupid war at some stage."

Harry unconsciously leaned into his new guardian's soft touch, feeling immensely consoled by the older wizard's kind words. "Thank you, sir," he said hoarsely. "It's all right now, sir. Please go back to bed, or Professor McGonagall will kill me."

Snape cast him an amused look but relented. "I'll do that for the time being. As soon as we're both recovered, we're going to use the remaining time of the holidays for an intense Potions course. I can't have my ward be a complete dunderhead at Potions."

Inwardly groaning, Harry said, "All right, sir. Will you also try teaching me Occlumency again? I promise to try harder this time."

The professor raised an eyebrow as he replied, "We'll see, Harry."

'_He called me by my given name_,' Harry realised, feeling strangely happy at the small gesture. He observed the professor leave his spot on the edge of his bed and return to his own. '_I'm so happy. He has been really nice since I came here, and he is the first person who ever stood up for me. He'll be a much better guardian than the Dursleys were_,' he thought gratefully. "Thank you, sir, for becoming my guardian," he whispered.

"Now shut up and go back to sleep, Potter," Snape replied hoarsely, but from the corners of his eyes, Harry could see that a small smile played on the professor's lips.

**The End **(probably; maybe I'll add a short second chapter)**  
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